Just how do you thank these wonderful people for training and then running the Oxford Half Marathon. The distance 13.1 miles, thats just over 21 km in 2 hours 15 minutes and 2 hours 22 minutes. Akpe kakaka (Ewe language for thank you totally)
At 6 miles (10 Km)
Kate at 8 miles (13Km) Still smiling
David at 8 miles (13Km) Still happy
They have raised over £800 and when you add on the gift aid this will be about £1,000. Phenomenal. This amount can go a long way towards helping communities build a toilet block,renovate a library or even go towards putting in a borehole to provide clean drinking water. For example the money raised could go a long way to building the superstructure on the toilet and roof it. How worthwhile is that.
The funds raised could convert this
to this…
Foli John and Michael Deh who are working on the Alavanyo Agome Toilet say Akpe bor oo (A very big thankyou)
If you’ve been inspired by David & Kate’s fundraising and would like to run the Oxford Half Marathon 2022 or any other fundraising initiative please get in touch
Quite a number of people ask this so here is a potted history as to why.
Click on this to listen to the blog
September 1967
In September 1967 I was on a plane to Ghana and so was Heather but we didn’t know each other. We were going to volunteer with VSO. I was posted to St Mary’s Junior Seminary in Lolobi Kumasi, Heather went to Bishop Herman College in Kpandu about 50km away. We met and travelled to Timbuktu together in the Easter holiday. We returned to the UK, as an item, in the July and were married in 1970.
September 1972
In 1972 we went to Nigeria for four years. We worked in Mubi Teacher Training College in the North East State. Heather gathered material for her book Growing up in the Mandara Mountains when we were there.
December 1979
In 1979 we went to Botswana for about seven years. I worked for the Ministry of Education and Heather did various jobs including journalism. Heather has written Coming of Age in Botswana which describes our life there. The African continent kept calling and we worked briefly in Kenya, South Sudan and Ethiopia. Heather worked on educational books for many different countries throughout Africa.
June 2009
In 2009 Alyrene pointed out a project with VOLU in Tafi Atome in the Volta region very close to where we had met. I went and worked on the project. But time and money ran out before the community toilet block was finished. The next year I fundraised enough to finish the project and returned to Tafi. I was again working with VOLU and particularly with Clemence Kitsi a volunteer builder, we completed the building.
2018 – 2019
In 2018 Clemence was asked by the Village Development Committee of Alavanyo Dzobedze if a communal toilet could be built there. So he contacted us. We fundraised again and the block was started, again working with VOLU. In 2019 Myself, Heather and Alyrene went out to help with it.
2020 – Current day
We realised that it would be better if we worked as a registered charity and in 2020 Community Action Ghana was incorporated as a UK charity. Charity number 1188867. Myself – Adrian, Heather and Alyrene are the three trustees.
We are now working on another toilet block in Alavanyo Agome. After sucessfully renovating libraries in Kpeve and Tafi are now in the process of working with renovating libraries in Alavanyou Wudidi and Hohoe Wegbe. We have had donations from a Fair trade shop in Hamlyn Germany, schools in New Zealand and Germany, and my local garage to help with the projects. The New Zealand school’s most recent donation paid for a survey for a borehole to provide clean water for the community of Gbedema Kofi. We still need to raise the money to make this project a reality.
All this takes money and donations are always greatfully received. Please dig deep to help us help these communities help themselves.
Heather’s Books
Heather is going to donate one pound (£1.00) from the sale of each book to Community Action Ghana. If you would like to order a copy signed by Heather direct from us please fill in the contact form and we will post one to you.
